iPad Alternatives: 13 Tablet PCs To Try Instead Of The iPad

Craving a tablet PC but loathe to buy Apple's iPad--no matter how "magical" Steve Jobs says it is?

We've assembled a guide to a dozen iPad alternatives. Some of these tablet PCs have been released, while some are only rumored to be in the works, but all of these Android, webOS, and Windows-based slates are worth a look.

Which do you think could be an "iPad killer"? Weigh in below.

 

Share your favorite iPad alternatives! Which tablet PCs do you recommend?

Find a picture of a tablet you'd like to recommend, click the "Add a Slide" button, add a title and upload your picture.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab

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For those who find the iPad unwieldy, the Samsung Galaxy Tab may offer a more manageable, portable alternative. "With its 7-inch screen and form factor of 7.5 by 4.7 by .5 inches it is small enough to easily hold in one hand and use even as you walk around," Huffington Post blogger Larry Magid wrote of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. PC World says the "impressive" device is the "first tablet to come along that appears to be capable of challenging the Apple iPad." However, "the burden of carrier contracts may seal the unfortunate fate of the Samsung tablet before it even launches"--PC World notes that the Galaxy Tab is to be "offered through wireless carriers, subsidized like a smartphone"

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For those who find the iPad unwieldy, the Samsung Galaxy Tab may offer a more manageable, portable alternative. "With its 7-inch screen and form factor of 7.5 by 4.7 by .5 inches it is small enough to easily hold in one hand and use even as you walk around," Huffington Post blogger Larry Magid wrote of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. PC World says the "impressive" device is the "first tablet to come along that appears to be capable of challenging the Apple iPad." However, "the burden of carrier contracts may seal the unfortunate fate of the Samsung tablet before it even launches"--PC World notes that the Galaxy Tab is to be "offered through wireless carriers, subsidized like a smartphone"

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Mr Vegetarian NY said on 8 Wednesday 2010 am30 12:03 am: iDepends

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Comments

[MountPanic]

07:09 PM on 11/02/2010

Definitely curious about the NotionInk, Archos and WePads.

Might skip the laptop after all!

[Gunfighter]

10:27 AM on 10/21/2010

iPad kiler? Not likely to happen... why does the ipad need to be killed. Some of the pads mentioned may become competivie, and that is really what the market is all about, isn't it?

None of these products will kill the ipad, just like the ipad never had a chance of killing the Kindle.

[Beck rolls]

09:56 AM on 10/21/2010

Even the ipad 2 will be no match for the Notion Ink Adam.

[iamvalid]

10:13 AM on 10/20/2010

Pretty sorry example of product reviews. About half of the products mentioned fail to report the cost of the product. Oh well, I guess if you are a HuffPO reader, you don't need to ask. But I DO!

[Joe Renzo]

01:19 PM on 10/04/2010

Attention fans of the Notion Ink Adam, you can vote for your favorite color to be released this year. Vote Metallic Blue with the silver accents! Cool color!

[Unimatrix42]

06:56 PM on 09/09/2010

None of which have shipped. Until any of these products is in the marketplace and we see what kind of demand there is for an Android or Windows based tablet this post is just here for pageviews.

[Brian Hudson]

02:23 PM on 09/10/2010

Not entirely true. The Archos tablets are out, and you can order them off the website. They don't seem to be lighting up the charts, so to speak ...

[ClassicLeft]

06:06 PM on 09/14/2010

No, their Android 2.1 devices haven't been released yet, only the 3.2" version. The other devices will be available in late October and they seem to be quite awesome.

[Omnix]

06:20 PM on 09/09/2010

I'll shop around, but I will probably buy an Android-based tablet. I switched from an iPhone to a Droid, and I must say that the biggest difference is I don't feel like I'm in Apple jail. I can access a lot of free and low-cost apps that Apple/AT&T won't allow like an app for tethering (wifi, bluetooth, and USB), apps to control volume individually, Adobe Flash, Google Sky Map, and many more. And I definitely don't miss the dropped calls. Yes, there were things I liked about the iPhone, but the Droid (and other Android-based phones) are much more functional. I suspect the tablets will be the same...

[jimmyjones22]

08:01 PM on 09/08/2010

its funny how apple has lowered the bar so much that "IT HAS USB PORTS!!!111" suddenly becomes a selling point like it's 1996 again.

[JasonMcl]

10:38 PM on 09/08/2010

Or "Expandable Storage!"
Or "Removable Battery!"

[ResearchtheFacts]

04:12 PM on 09/08/2010

I'm going for the Samsung Galaxy tablet.  Sweet!  Around $200-$300 U.S. rumor has it.

Still waiting to see what network,but, I will try and get it unlocked  if it is AT & Crappy T or Verizon.   No way, I am bitting on those bullets.  They are entertaining open network capabilities.


Front and rear-facing cameras, expandable memory through an SD memory card slot, and multitasking, multiple home screens like my samsung phone, 1.0 GHz processor, usb, bluetooth, video conferencing and gps.  The list goes on and it is larger than my cell phone and smaller than that pad thing Apple sells. It will download videos, it will do Flash, it will videoconference with other platforms.

Hey, another tech toy!

[javajava]

09:35 AM on 09/09/2010

I have the Galaxy S on TMobile and will most likely buy their tablet.

[Unimatrix42]

06:56 PM on 09/09/2010

More like 1000.

[BocaMom]

12:50 PM on 09/08/2010

Love the bigger screen! Wish iPad offered a 13 inch screen!

[NHBill]

01:39 PM on 09/08/2010

toooo heavy

[thereisonlyoneparty]

10:58 AM on 09/08/2010

Some of the devices might be useful as an alternative, but ultimately they are all the same.  The only difference is the OS.

The Windows 7 pad is not really an alternative to the iPad anymore than a scooter is to a pick up truck.  The iPad is not meant to be a computer.  Is it meant to be a big iPod.

[NHBill]

11:11 AM on 09/08/2010

iPod can't do word processing or spread sheets.
iPod's are very hard to type on.

[Louisknyc]

12:07 PM on 09/08/2010

If you mean iPAD, they most certainly can do word processing, spreadsheets and powerpoint. And if the onscreen keyboard isn't satisfactory, Apple also has a more conventional keyboard available.

[NHBill]

09:49 AM on 09/08/2010

Maynard Um with UBS Investment Research issued a note to investors this week, in which he increased his price target for AAPL stock to $350, up from $340. He said there is no evidence that the iPad is having a negative effect on Mac sales, but it is "adversely affecting the PC industry."

"Sales of traditional notebooks appear to be feeling pressure from the iPad, causing a scramble by vendors to launch iPad-like tablets," Um wrote. "We believe that a majority of this impact is occurring on the lower end of PC sales as the iPad is priced close enough to this range that it becomes attractive to consumers looking to make purchases within this segment."

He continued: "We are not sold that the iPad is purely cannibalizing PC sales, as the functionality of the iPad cannot yet deliver the functionality of notebook PCs. However, consumers who purchase iPads may be more willing to delay purchases and upgrades of existing PCs."

Um sees Apple selling 28 million iPads in 2011, a number he cautioned could be "conservative."

[jgeurian21]

10:31 AM on 09/08/2010

Isn't that the same Maynard Um that said back in March 09 that Apple was releasing out iCore series CPUs which actually took almost another year. Also isn't this the same guy that claimed Apple was coming up with a 4GB version of the iPhone? I mean I think Apple will sell a lot of iPads because it is a good product, but this guy has been pretty wrong before.

[NHBill]

10:56 AM on 09/08/2010

one should always take the advise of a financial annalist with a grain of salt.
but 2-3 million iPads a month seem to be the general consensus.
The fact that some will hold on to an older desktop computer and supplement it with an iPad describes me and many others I know.

[Dominik Olbrich]

09:04 AM on 09/08/2010

I dont understand why so many people HATE Apple so much. It seems like it that every news paper is against Apple.

What did they do to you? Is it because they are innovative and everyone is copying their stuff? Or is it because they are highly successful? There are so many Apple Haters out there, where does it come from?

[NHBill]

09:49 AM on 09/08/2010

it's lonely at the top

[jgeurian21]

10:35 AM on 09/08/2010

It isn't that people hate Apple; just that people hate their fanboys, really. I for one like Apple and think they make some pretty cool products, but I for one am not going to call their iPad magical. Apple sells a lifestyle and MS sells a product. Sort of the difference between the 2. But Apple is innovative, but Apple is a copier them selves. Take the GUI and even the MP3 player. Apple didn't create any of this tech, but they did copy a lot. But that is what makes companies great. They see something and figure out how to make it better. Take for example Ford: they didn't create the car, but they did make it cheaper and easier for average people to get a car.

[NHBill]

11:07 AM on 09/08/2010

Apple's genius is to bravely think outside the box.
When the iPhone first appear the PC writers slammed it because it has no actual keyboard.
Today most smartphones are following Apple's design.
Time and time again Steve Jobs has climbed out on a limb all by himself often at great risk only to develop a whole new tree.
He is without question the most successful head of a major company in the world this century.

[Cryostatic]

08:47 AM on 09/08/2010

Wow, a flurry of useless devices.

Excepting, perhaps, the J3500. An Intel Core and pen input makes it potentially useful for some.

[Cryostatic]

08:52 AM on 09/08/2010

To clarify: I'm referring to business. None of these can compete with the iPad from a consumer standpoint, and probably never will.

[SusanElizabeth1949]

08:55 AM on 09/08/2010

I borrowed a friend's IPad, my experience was sufficient to convince me I do not want an IPad. Too heavy for one thing,

[jgeurian21]

09:41 AM on 09/08/2010

Um...I own an iPad and I have to disagree. I think that it has some wonderful points, but things like streaming are down right difficult, not to mention the files it can handle are quite limited and of course the worst of all the lack of a 16:9 screen. The Wifi is quite dodgy, even after the update, and all of the apps are "HD" and cost $5.

[dpisoccer]

08:33 AM on 09/08/2010

I just hate being nickeled and dimed to death. 100 for this 50.00 a month for that oh you want the app it's only 9.99 when it's all said and done you paid about a grand for a nifty toy.

[Tmboy]

09:27 AM on 09/08/2010

Buy the wifi only version and only get free apps. Im my years with my touch, BB, and android devices i have never paid for an app. And if there ever is an app that you just have to have then its probably worth it.